The forecast westerly blow looked OK this morning but was only about 6m/second, quiet light. I decided to head out anyway and tried Norra Ängalag. Had a good 2.5 hour session here before breakfast. Highlights included a scattering of passage waders going past close including knot (15), dunlin (55), bar-tailed godwit (1) and grey plover (3). Seabirds included gannet (5 south), lesser black-backed gull (2 south) and a poor view of a Manx shearwater to the north and heading that way too. Razorbills went past in good numbers (7) and also one guillemot. Stationary stuff here included curlew sandpiper (2), whimbrel (1) and turnstone (1).
When I got back home a quick look at the available gen indicated that shearwaters were moving and that Cory's was a distinct possibility if I got back out. This I time went to Hovs Hallar - the spot around here for sea-watching. Despite another 2.5 hours failed to connect with Manx or Cory's. The latter had gone to ground in the bay somewhere. Did get great skua (1), gannet (1) and more passage birds including common scoter (20), turnstone (1), common sandpiper (5), grey plover (2), whimbrel (2), razorbill (2) and guillemot (1). Before going home checked Båstad for 45 minutes to see if anything was in the bay and sitting around. This partly paid off with a single fulmar (plus three goosander).
Had to get back to the house but checked the gen later in the afternoon to find all hell had broken loose with a Cory's shuttling between Hovs Hallar and Kattvik. Made a dash for the easiest of these two to access (Kattvik) but missed the bird by 15 minutes. As we sat watching we heard that the bird had slipped south past Ripagården. Leaving me to rue the decision to head for Kattvik instead of taking the other option of heading it off if it went south. You win some you learn some. Sea-watching is the only type of birding that I do that demands a pager - I guess I will crack eventually. It would just be handy to know what was coming from the north and be able to nip out and intercept it.
Hi Phil,
ReplyDeleteBad luck with the Cory's but still a pretty good day with some locally hard to see birds such as Manx, Fulmar etc.. (neither of which I have seen in Denmark). Am away for two weeks from Friday (the second week camping in Bohuslan!) but will be in touch on my return to arrange my second visit... Good luck with the wader passage over the next couple of weeks.
Terry